The underground world is so unfamiliar to us that you only have to dig down a few yards to reveal a totally unknown realm, just beneath our feet. Today, only a fraction of the rich biodiversity that inhabits the soil has been studied. Scientists estimate that the ground is probably home to 70% of the living organisms yet to be discovered.
In the course of a spectacular journey, Secret Life Underground takes us to discover the mysteries of this great underground machinery at work. More than a simple ecosystem, the soil is itself a genuine living organism in which countless creatures live in a state of inter-dependence: animals, plants, fungi, bacteria and viruses interact in an environment of which they are both the inhabitants and the creators.
Two episodes plunge us into the first few yards of soil through an inside view of the secret yet active life of these "engineers of the soil", to then explore the unexpected biological activity in the deeper layers of the sub-soil, several miles down, revealing some organic and mineral secrets. Filmed with cutting-edge technology, this series is an extraordinary journey into the underground world, unveiling the secret engine of our planet.
Direction : Vincent Amouroux
Production : Transparences Productions for ARTE France